WeHo Parks Are Up for a Rewrite. You Have a Say — Just Show Up Saturday

This Saturday, April 11, from 1 to 3 p.m., the City of West Hollywood is holding a community workshop at the Aquatic and Recreation Center in the San Vicente & La Cienega Room. The center is at the top of great staircase in West Hollywood park. By the way, if you’ve never had a reason to check out the center it’s worth going for that reason alone. You’ll be impressed and you’ll be back. But I digress. The day’s discussion is built around a document I’m guessing most residents have never heard of. It’s called the Open Space Element, and it may be the most consequential parks decision the City makes this decade. And they want your voice to have a say in the matter.

This is part of a state-required section of the General Plan. What it actually does is set the rules on how the City spends money on parks, what it can demand from developers, which neighborhoods get prioritized when new green space becomes possible. Once the City Council adopts it, those rules are locked in. So, if you want a say in what those plans look like then you need to show up. If you can’t make it in person you can participate online. More on that later.

In case you didn’t know, West Hollywood has approximately 0.45 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The state standard is three. The regional average is 3.3 acres. Two percent of the city’s land is parks. That’s what the plan is supposed to address.

WEHOonline reached out to Francisco Contreras, Long Range Planning Manager, ahead of Saturday’s meeting to help answer some questions.

Why bother showing up

I know a lot of you might be asking, why bother? Because the draft is not final. That’s the point Contreras made when asked why a resident should give up a Saturday afternoon.

“Residents should attend the April 11 community workshop, as it is an opportunity to provide input on the proposed Open Space Element Update, which will help guide the City’s future policies and priorities for parks, recreation, and open space,” he said.

Input from Saturday gets folded into the draft before it goes to City Council. Once adopted, the Element is binding General Plan policy — it governs how the City prioritizes and funds parks for the next decade. The draft includes an open space prioritization program, a capital plan, recurring needs assessments, and an equity tracking dashboard. Online comments at engage.weho.org/openspace.

“Input received through the April 11 workshop, along with comments submitted during the public review process, will be used to refine the proposed Open Space Element before it is finalized,” Contreras said.

The Eastside, and a possible pool

Parts of the Eastside show up in the draft as carrying more than their share. Higher pollution levels. Greater heat exposure. Less access to parks and community amenities than elsewhere in the city. The plan includes policies aimed at directing future capital investment, tree canopy work, and cooling infrastructure toward those areas first.

Buried in the policy section is something eastside residents have wanted for years. The draft calls for exploring aquatic facilities in the Eastside neighborhood — a swimming pool, splash pad, or seasonal cooling play feature. Contreras said that language doesn’t commit the City to anything specific. But it’s in the document now, and Saturday is the moment to push for it.

Contreras said the plan covers the full range of what residents use parks for — dog parks, aquatics, community gardens, programming for seniors, youth, and the LGBTQ+ community. He said those priorities are still being shaped and Saturday is the right moment to push for what matters most to you. “The workshop is intended to give community members the opportunity to learn about the update process and share feedback, and input received will help inform future policies, priorities, and actions,” he said.

On whether any of it matters

Asked what he’d say to a resident who figures their voice won’t change anything, Contreras kept it direct.

“The City’s goal is to receive meaningful public input before finalizing the Open Space Element,” he said. “Public comments at this stage can help strengthen the plan and ensure it reflects residents’ experiences, needs, and priorities across West Hollywood.”

The workshop is free. No registration required. West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center, 8750 El Tovar Place, next to the West Hollywood Library.

The workshop is free. No registration required. West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center, 8750 El Tovar Place, next to the West Hollywood Library.

And remember, if you can’t make it Saturday your online input counts just as much. There’s literally no excuse for you not to participate. Save us all from your complaining how you don’t have a voice in the decisions the City makes. You do. Right here. Right now. Submit your comments at engage.weho.org/openspace.

West Hollywood is yours. Act like it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​